Mayor's Message - Friday 8 April

The Federal Government recently released their 2022-23 budget which contained a number of boosts to programs that have a positive impact on our regional cities.  

As the Chair of Regional Capitals Australia, I noted the budget included much-needed funding to back the trend toward regional living, particularly in the wake of recent record-breaking regional growth.  

This budget will help connect regional cities through better telecommunications, roads and community infrastructure through initiatives like $800 million over five years for the Mobile Black Spot Program and the Regional Connectivity Program, $45 million for the Ballarat to Ouyen Future Priorities Rail Project, and an extension of the Regional Home Guarantee - providing up to 10,000 places each year for the next three years to support first homebuyers. 

While it’s great to see the Federal Government investing in major regional projects, we will be watching closely during the upcoming federal election for some Ballarat-specific projects that will ensure the prosperity of our city. 

Speaking of the federal election just around the corner, we are looking forward to working closely with our advocacy partners to work to secure funding for the future of Ballarat.   

We’ll be advocating for funding for projects to improve our city’s economy, health outcomes, transport, and to help boost our regional post-pandemic response.  

We will be ensuring our city attracts more visitors and that we have the infrastructure and services to support our growing population. 

Watch this space in the coming weeks for more on these transformational projects.   

Lastly, on a more local note, I encourage Ballarat residents to help our local businesses and their hip pockets at the same time by taking advantage of the State Government’s Dining and Entertainment Rebate program.  

You can get out and enjoy Ballarat’s world-class offerings in food, drink, and entertainment and claim back up to 25% off your bill from the Victorian State Government.  

We are so lucky in our city to have so much to see and do, and this program is the perfect opportunity to help our local businesses recover from the pandemic and our local population get to experience the wonders in their own backyard.